Extensions possible for Barmore, Judon
Defensive anchors are important to Mayo
ORLANDO, FLA. >> The Patriots would like to keep their defensive corps in place as they move forward in a new era.
That means potentially extending defensive tackle Christian Barmore and outside linebacker Matt Judon.
Barmore, a 2021 secondround pick, is entering a contract year. Extension talks started at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to a source.
“One thing about Barmore, he’s one of those players, he’s developed here. There were some questions coming out of college, obviously, you know, his potential. He’s done a fantastic job really growing up,” head coach Jerod Mayo said Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting. “I think DeMarcus (Covington) and Joe Kim have done a good job really helping develop him. Once again, it goes back to — we want to keep our own. We want to keep our own players. We have had talks with Barmore. Hopefully, it works out.”
Covington served as Barmore’s defensive line coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator this offseason. Kim is the Patriots’ director of skill development, specializing in pass rushers.
Judon’s situation is a little bit different. The Patriots borrowed $3 million from his 2024 salary to give him a pay raise in 2023. That leaves him due just $7.5 million in cash this season.
“There’s no question we want a guy like Judon. And going back to keeping our own, when Judon was in Baltimore, he just happened to be this great guy and a great fit, a culture add for us,”
Mayo said. “And we want to keep Judon. We want to keep him, but that’s more of a question for (de facto GM) Eliot (Wolf). But those conversations have started. We know he’s still a premier rusher in this league. As we continue to go forward, we want him to be a piece of the puzzle.”
Barmore, 24, had a breakout campaign in 2023, setting career highs with 8.5 sacks, 16 QB hits, 13 tackles for loss, 64 tackles, six pass breakups and one forced fumble in 17 games with six starts.
Judon, 31, suffered a season-ending torn biceps four games into the 2023 season. He has 32 sacks in 38 games with 33 starts in three seasons with the Patriots, garnering Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and 2022.
Kraft on report card
Owner Robert Kraft is taking the Patriots’ low marks on their annual NFLPA report card seriously.
The Patriots scored low in treatment of families (F-), weight room (F) and ownership (D+).
“I must tell you, I was unaware of how bad that was,” Kraft said. “We’ve had a plan that we put in place where we’re committing to a whole new facility adjacent to ours. That has been discussed with the leadership team and a building that will be in excess of $50 million. We have to correct everything. I was not aware of the daycare issue. I mean, that’s something that’s fixable. The players are the heart and soul of the business. I’d be very surprised if that didn’t improve. That was done during the fifth week of the season.”
Latest on Boutte
Mayo hopes to continue working with Kayshon Boutte after the wide receiver’s arrest on felony gambling charges in January.
Boutte, a 2023 sixth-round pick, was arrested on a felony charge of computer fraud and one misdemeanor count of Gaming Prohibited for Persons under 21, Louisiana State Police announced in January.
“We’re continuing to gather information on that. He’s still on the team,” Mayo said Monday. “Hopefully, we can continue to develop this player but also develop him as a man as well going forward. I think it’s important to remember some of these guys are very young and they’ve made mistakes in the past. It’s easy to just throw them away but there are certain instances where you can help somebody out and I feel like we have a good player development group there that will definitely help us going forward.”
According to officials, Boutte used an alias account to circumvent the age requirement for placing sports wagers in Louisiana from April, 6, 2022, through May 7, 2023, the date of his 21st birthday. Boutte is accused of placing more than 8,900 wagers, including at least six on LSU while he played for the school’s football team. He allegedly created the alias account, username “kayshonboutte01,” under the fictitious identity “Kayla Fortenberry.”
Boutte’s activity was flagged after he allegedly created a second account, username “kayshonboutte07,” last June from Massachusetts. The second account used a Regions Bank Visa card that once funded the Fortenberry account, authorities said. According to the warrant, the Visa card belonged to his mother.
He caught two passes for 19 yards in five games as a rookie with the Patriots after making the team’s initial 53-man roster.
More rule changes
The NFL approved more rule and bylaw changes Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting.
Among them, the league adopted the XFL’s kickoff rule. The kicker will continue to kick from the 35yard line, but all other kicking team players will line up with one foot on the 40-yard line and cannot move until the ball hits the ground or a receiving player.
The kicker must land the ball between the goal line and 20-yard line. If it’s short of the landing zone, then the ball will be spotted at the receiving team’s 40. If it lands in the end zone, then the ball will be spotted at the receiving team’s 30-yard line. The ball must be returned within the landing zone. If the ball hits the landing zone and goes into the end zone, it would be spotted at the receiving team’s 20.
Other approved rules: the ruling of a passer down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass is reviewable, replay review is approved when there is clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before any snap, the trade deadline has been moved back from Week 8 to Week 9, each club can place up to two players on reserve lists on the day of roster cuts to be designated for return, practice squad quarterbacks can be elevated an unlimited number of times to serve as an emergency third QB.